You're Invited

by Amanda Jayatissa

“Absolutely addictive…it’s like Agatha Christie meets Crazy Rich Asians. Amanda Jayatissa is an author you want to watch.”—Brad Thor

What could be worse than your ex-boyfriend marrying your childhood best friend? Getting accused of her murder… From the award-winning author of My Sweet Girl comes a dangerously addictive thriller about a lavish Sri Lankan wedding celebration that not everyone will survive.

When Amaya is invited to Kaavi’s over-the-top wedding in Sri Lanka, she is surprised and a little hurt to hear from her former best friend after so many years of radio silence. But when Amaya learns that the groom is her very own ex-boyfriend, she is consumed by a single thought: She must stop the wedding from happening, no matter the cost. 

But as the week of wedding celebrations begin and rumors about Amaya’s past start to swirl, she can’t help but feel like she also has a target on her back. When Kaavi goes missing and is presumed dead, all evidence points to Amaya. 

However, nothing is as it seems as Jayatissa expertly reveals that each wedding guest has their own dark secret and agenda, and Amaya may not be the only one with a plan to keep the bride from getting her happily ever after…

• ISBN10: 0593335120
• ISBN13: 9780593335123
• Publish Date: 9 August 2022
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Penguin Putnam Inc
• Imprint: Berkley Publishing Corporation,U.S.
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 384
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780593335123

Reviews

[Quirky Cat]

You're Invited is one of several BOTM books I grabbed last month, and I have to say that I'm pretty happy with my selection. Written by Amanda Jayatissa, this novel is a winding thriller with many surprise twists and turns.

It's hard to believe, but Kaavi is getting married. Amaya is having even more trouble accepting that her once-BFF is marrying her ex-boyfriend. And that she somehow felt it was right to invite Amaya to the wedding.

Well, Amaya isn't going to pass up this opportunity. She needs to see how much Sri Lanka has changed since she left. How much Kaavi has changed. But she's probably not prepared for everything else about unfolding.

“No one seems to understand that real loss never eases; we just become more adept at carrying a weight that settles deeper in our chests, smiling through it, pretending like we are totally fine whenever someone mentions them.”

Okay, so I went into You're Invited, having no real idea of what to expect. An ex attending a wedding is strange enough, but she's also the bride's ex-best friend? That's a whole different twist altogether, and given the genre, it felt like it's somehow going to lead to violence.

In truth, You're Invited took its time in unfolding the truth. Switching between Amaya and Kaavi's perspectives, readers will slowly get to see their sides of the story. Yet it takes quite a while for all the puzzle pieces to fall into place.

In other words, Amanda Jayatissa did an excellent job obfuscating the truth. Unlike many thrillers of this nature, I didn't feel like I had been lied to hide the truth. Instead, the big reveal is hidden behind several smaller reveals. This made it easy to get distracted by all the subplots.

Overall, I would have to say that I enjoyed You're Invited. I don't think it's my favorite thriller, but it is still exceptionally well written, and I have to give credit where credit is due.

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